Dust mop



Jam 13, '1942. A. R. EsERNsTElN 2,269,424

. DUST MOP Fild Aug. 14;- 1940 Patented Jan. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUST MOP Adele R. Bernstein, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 14, 1940, Serial No. 352,482

6 Claims.

This invention relates to dust mops, and has to do particularly with an improved form of dust mop which is adapted to be used for dusting furniture, woodwork, and walls, flooring, moldings, and the like.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide a dust mop comprising a pliable and relatively soft, resilient head or foundation member constituting a permanent part of the mop and adapted to go under, behind, and around furniture, radiators, and other objects, and provided with a bag form-ed of fabric material suitable for dusting purposes and adapte-d to be detachably secured in place over the foundation or head member.

Another object of my invention is to provide a. foundation or head member formedof relatively soft crude or synthetic rubber material of relatively flat form for the purposes described, and having all of the corners thereof free yieldingly to contact obstacles, the upper corners of the foundation member being preferably rounded so as not to catch on obstacles as the mop is withdrawn, and the lower corners of the foundation tion with a pliable foundation member of thecharacter set forth, a clamp carried by the handle and comprising a pair of opposite sides having openings therein, the foundation member being preferably held compressed between the sides of the clamp and protruding through the openings to hold the same to the clamp and to act as a resilient bumper.

Another object of my invention is to provide, in a mop of the class described, a construction in which contact of the foundation support or clamp with the furniture, Woodwork, or other article is minimized.

Another object o f my invention is to provide a mop of simple and inexpensive construction, and which may be handled and operated conveniently and eectively; also a ldevice composed of few parts adapted for convenient assembly,

and a device in which the dusting bag may be removed, cleaned, and replaced without removing and replacing the entire dusting head, and a device in which bags which are oiled or otherwise treated or non-treated may be used selectively as desired, without replacing the entire mop head.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side face view of a dust mop embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view showing, in side elevation.

the head of the mop comprising the clamp carried by the inner end of the handle and the pliable foundation member carried by the clamp with the dust bag removed;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, with the dust bag in place;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the dust bag.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration comprises generally a handle I0, a clamp II carried by the inner end of the handle I0, a pliable foundation member I2 carried by the cla-mp II, and a bag I3 formed of material suitable for dusting purposes and adapted to be detachably secured in place over the foundation member I2 and, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, over the clamp I I.

While the form of the clamp I I may vary Within the scope of the present invention, the clamp selected for illustration is preferably formed of a piece of fiat, cold-rolled steel or other suitable sheet metal stamped to form and bent to sub-y relation. The sides I 5 and I6 are pressed at I'I, I'Iv to form a socket for receiving the inner end of the handle I0 which is secured in the socket by a rivet I8 or other suitable means.

The foundation member I2 A.is preferably formed of relatively soft crude or synthetic rubber, such as sponge rubber,- or other suitable material, and is substantially flat and pliable to go under the furniture, and under and behind radiators and the like. The thickness of the clamp II, as viewedin Figure 4, is preferably less than the thickness of the flexible foundation member to minimize the possibility of contact of the clamp with the furniture or other article. y

Each of the opposite sides I5 and I6 of the clamp II has one or more openings 2U, and the upper portion of the pliable foundation member I2 is held compressed between the sides I5 and I6 of the clamp, the soft pliable material of the foundation member I2 protruding through the openings 20 to act as resilient bumpers 2| and to secure or assist in securing the foundation member in the clamp. Rivets 22 or other suitable means secure the sides ofthe clamp together in the desired spaced relation, and, as shown in Figure 2, certain of these'rivets may pass through the clamped portion of the foundation member I2 to secure the same in place in the clamp.

All of th'e corners of the foundation member I 2 are preferably free, yieldingly .to Contact obstacles, and the upper corners of the foundation member are preferably rounded at 24 so as not to catch on obstructions as the mop is withdrawn. The opposite sides 25 of the foundation member are substantially parallel, and the lower edge 26 is preferably disposed normal thereto so that the lower corners of the foundation member are substantially square to fit into corners. The foundation member I2 is preferably thick enough to be firm and to have substantial body, and also to facilitate removing dust, for example, from the lower molding at the same time that the floor is being dusted by one of th'e flat sides of the device. The bag I3 is adapted to be slipped over the foundation member I2 and, when in place, covers the foundation member and the clamp II. This bag I3 is preferably formed of a fabric material having a relatively long nap on its outer side and a relatively impervious inner side to prevent the infiltration of dust. Canton flannel is suitable for this purpose, but it is 'to be understood that other materials may be employed. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the bag I3 is shaped to t over the foundation member I2 and the clamp II, and is open at the top as indicated at 29 in Figure 5. The open top of the bag I3 has pairs of snap fasteners SII and 3I which are adapted to be engaged to secure the bag detachably in place over the foundation member and the frame, and which are releasable to permit ready removal of the bag. Certain portions of the open top of the bag, are adapted to be folded over the top of the frame II to engage the snap fasteners as indicated in Figure 3, but this, of course, may vary.

In use, the soft, pliable character of the foundation member I2 permits the head of the mop yieldingly to accommodate itself to the surfaces to which it is applied. At th'e same time, the rey silient character of the foundation member results in its retaining it-s shape at all times. The detachable character of the bag permits the same to be removed for washing or cleaning, and a bag which is oiled or otherwise treated may be used with a non-treated bag interchangeably, as desired, without replacing the entire mop head as required where mop heads of the string type are employed. The clamp II preferably has integral flanges at 28 for closing the upper marginsI of the clamp, but this may vary within the scope of the present invention.

With the construction shown, the mop may be renewed merely by replacing the bag I3 which is relatively inexpensive, and a number of these bags may be kept on hand-one, for example, for use with oil, and another for use without oil, etc. The foundation member I2, -in addition to the functions already described, is notl deleteriously aifected by oil, water, or other substances with ,f

which the mop may be used. If dust or the like `should filter through the bag and upon the foundation member I2, the functioning of this member is in nowise impaired thereby.

I do not intend to be limited to the precise details shown or described.

I claim: 1. In a dust mop, in combination, a clamp having a pair of sides in spaced relation, said sides having openings therein, a soft resilient member vhaving openings therein, a soft resilient member held compressed between the sides of said clamp and protruding through the openings in the sides of th'e clamp to act as resilient bumpers at opposite sides of the clamp, a handle carried by said clamp, and means passing through the sides of said clamp and securing said sides against the lopposite sides of fthe compressed portion of said soft resilient member.

3. In a dust mop, in combination, a clamp having a pair of sides in spaced relation, said sides having openings therein, a soft resilient member held compressed between the sides of said clamp and protruding through the openings in the sides of the clamp to act as resilient bumpers at opposite sides of the clamp, said soft resilient member having a mop portion extending. from said clamp and expanded to substantially normal thickness substantially greater th'an the thickness of the clamp, and a handle carried by said clamp.

4. In a dust mop, in combination, a clamp having a pair of sides in spaced relation, said sides having openings therein, a soft resilient member held compressed between the sides of saidclamp and protruding through the openings in the sides of the clamp to act as resilient bumpers at opposite sides of the clamp, said soft resilient member extending endwise from opposite ends of the clamp with said extending portions expanding to substantially normal thickness to provide resilient bumpers at opposite endsV of the clamp, and a handle carried vby said clamp.

5. In a dust mop, in combination, a sheet metal clamp of generally U-shaped cross-section with its opposite sides in substantially parallel spaced relation, th'e opposite sides of said clamp having openings therein, a soft resilient mop member having a portion held compressed between the sides of the clamp and. protruding. through the openings in the sides of the clamp to act as bumpers at opposite sides of the clamp, saidsoft resilient mop member extending endwise from opposite ends of the clamp and having a mop portion extending from `said clamp, the endwise extending portions and the extending mop portion of said soft resilient member being expanded to substantially normal thickness greater than the thickness of th'e clamp, and a handle carried by said clamp.

6. In a dust mop, in combination, a sheet metal clamp of generally U-shaped cross-section with its opposite sides in substantially parallel spaced relation, the opposite sides of said clamp having openings therein, a soft resiiient mop member having a portion held compressed between the sides of the clamp and protruding through the openings in the sides of the clamp to act as bumpers at opposite sides of the clamp, said soft resilient mop member extending endwise from opposite ends of the clamp and having a mop portion extending from said clamp, the endwise extending portions and the extending mop portion of said soft resilient member beingy expanded to subs'tantially normal thickness greater than the thickness of the clamp, the sides of the clamp having complementary socket portions for receiving a handle, a handle secured in said complementary socket portions, and means passing through the sides of the clamp and securing said sides against the opposite sides of the compressed portion of said sof't resilient member.r

ADELE R. BERNSTEIN. 

